Tag Archives: BMW

August 21

Surprises

On the way to work today, I ended up behind a Buick that was quite good-looking. A BUICK. More specifically, it was a red Buick Regal and, I have to say, it looks fairly sporty in motion. I was shocked, and I’m not even being snarky about it. Buick’s SUVs are looking pretty good these days, […]

March 21

Pirelli World Challenge at Circuit of the Americas

The Pirelli World Challenge sports car racing series had its season opener at Circuit of the Americas at the beginning of March, and your faithful motorsports reporter was there for the Saturday race! (I had plans for Sunday.) I may have mentioned before that I love Pirelli World Challenge, but let me recap: I love […]

February 04

Self-Driving Cars: My Article in Texas Lawyer

Look out – two posts in one month! How do I even live at this speed?? In a bit of exciting news, I recently had another automotive article published in Texas Lawyer.  Remember the one I did a few months back on the GM recall? Well, the new one is about the legal questions surrounding […]

November 27

I’m Not Dead!

Yes, I’ve been gone for almost two months. Not just from the blog, but from home as well. In a big out-of-town trial that just keeps going…and going…and going… So the blog’s been on hold. I missed Formula 1, two Cars and Coffee events, the Jaguar Land Rover of Austin grand opening, the BMW i8 […]

September 19

Cars and Coffee Austin – September 14, 2014

Too busy to talk! But feast your eyes upon these…        

August 10

Cars and Coffee Austin – August 10, 2014

Ah, Cars and Coffee. The only Sunday of the month where I cheerfully rise “early.” Sunday mornings have been scorchers around here lately, but that’s nothing to a true car fan. Just add a little strategic hydration, and you are good to go. I must say, I get a kick out of all the 20-something […]

June 20

In Praise of the Manual

Sometimes the “easy” way is the best way. Sometimes the “harder” way provides a richer, more rewarding experience. Such is the manual transmission. I did not learn to drive on a manual. Frankly, I was scared enough with the automatic. Worrying about shifting and using two feet for three pedals might have sent me over […]

March 09

Seen in Detroit: BMW M4

M3. For BMW fans – or, indeed, car fans in general – that name connotes everything we love about cars: power, speed, handling, balance, the perfect companion for the road ahead. At least, it used to. As the high-performance version of BMW’s venerable 3-series, the M3 has appeared variously as a sedan, coupe or convertible […]

February 14

Be Mine

My Valentines are of the four-wheeled variety. I win. Here are a few of my recent loves. And my current steady, the Red MINI.          

January 30

Configuration Nation!

I love online car configurators. Back in the day when I had free time on my hands (I can barely remember it), I used to spend hours building all my dream cars. From what I hear, the Next Generation is now carrying on that tradition. This evening, after a long workday, I decided to wind […]

January 13

Detroit Auto Show, Day 1

Whew, what a day! I spent nine hours on my feet, combing all the stands at Cobo Hall. I should have an article up on the Jean Knows Cars website early tomorrow, and will post the link as soon as I have it! In the meantime, it is safe to assume there will be lots […]

December 29

2013: a Look Back

I never thought the birth year of a blog would be a big deal, but here I am, looking back on 2013 through the eyes of this blog, and thinking about all that has happened since I published my first post on May 25. I have been to car-related events in Michigan, California and Texas, […]

December 20

Gift Guide for the Gearhead

This may be a bit late…but if you’re a procrastinator like me, it’s just in time! Allow me to present Motorista’s First Annual Gift Guide for the Gearhead. In case you know any… Branded Swag Does your favorite gearhead love a particular make or model above all others? Your choices are endless for branded hats, […]

October 25

Keeping an Eye on the i3

Full disclosure: today was my opportunity to drive the forthcoming BMW i3, the electric vehicle for the well-to-do urban hipster. And I blew it. I went, I saw, but I did not drive. The truth of the matter is, I have a cold, my head felt like a bowling ball, the line was long, so […]

October 12

M-Pressive

I am not a morning person. I hold very dear the weekend mornings in which I can sleep as late as I want (usually 11-ish; back in the college years, it was mid-afternoon and occasionally evening!). However, some things are worth getting up early for. A BMW track day is one of them. Through the […]

September 21

Day One of Acronym Racing: ALMS

On the heels of an uncharacteristic downpour, today dawned beautiful and “fall-ish” in Austin, Texas. Convenient – since I spent 8 hours at the track. (In my seat – bwaha!) Today’s festivities included a GT3 Cup race (all Porsche GT3s), qualifying for tomorrow’s WEC race, and the 2-hour-and-45-minute ALMS race.  This was my first time […]

September 14

That’s More Like It…

BMW revealed the production version of its i8 plug-in hybrid supercar at Frankfurt and…it is not a puggle! In fact, it is very alluring, if not nearly as attractive as the Porsche 918 Spyder. While I only saw it in concept form at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, I thought the i8 boded well for […]

September 12

The Myth of the Sub-$30k Luxury Car

Heard of the Mercedes-Benz CLA? I’m guessing, if you watch TV or have an Internet connection, you have. M-B has been very aggressively marketing its new “four-door coupe” entry-level vehicle. The alleged magic of the CLA? It can be yours for less than $30,000! Well, not really. The $30,000 mark has become a kind of […]

September 09

Oh, Frankfurt…

Today I am pining for Frankfurt. Bet not too many people say that… The 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show is happening this week. Or, to use its proper name, the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung.  All the European manufacturers are unveiling hotly anticipated new cars and concepts, such as the Porsche 918 Spyder, Jaguar C-X17 concept, BMW i8, Mercedes-Benz […]

July 29

Does the i3 Have It?

The Motorweb is all atwitter today with the official unveiling of the BMW i3, the first in BMW’s new line of electric “urban” vehicles. The i3 first appeared as a concept at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, where I got a chance to see it up close and in person: The i sub-brand of models […]